Over a malt loaf with … Josef Weghaupt

Ever since our philosophy has made its way around the industry, we have been receiving enquiries from businesses we have admired for years — asking to work with us. In our new collaboration, some of which we have admired for years. In our new series "Over a Glass with …" we would like to give you a glimpse into conversations with our partners and friends. We share a little about what we produce for each company and what connects us with them.

This time we are delighted to sit down with Josef Weghaupt from Joseph Brot. We have had the pleasure of working with them since 2019 Bio Malt from our own Malzwelt for his premium bread specialities.

Farthofer: You source malt from us. How did you come across us, and what do you use the malt for?

Weghaupt: We have been sourcing various organic malt varieties for our bread manufactory. When we first met in Vienna in 2019, it was a wonderful stroke of luck. Malt is a key ingredient for us, in the qualitative sense – it gives us the opportunity to further intensify the fermentation of the sourdough.

Blog Tag des Bodens - Destillerie FarthoferBlog Tag des Bodens - Destillerie Farthofer

Farthofer: When and where did you eat a bread that completely blew you away?

Weghaupt: This morning a Joseph Brot, that never fails to blow me away. We only sell Bio breads that I personally am one hundred percent convinced by. But that was probably not the question. A bread that truly knocked me off my feet – I haven't had one in a very long time. That was at my grandmother's. Those memories will stay with me always and were the deciding factor behind my emotional connection to bread as a food – which, in the truest sense of the word, is a means of life.

Farthofer: You trained as a food technologist and butcher. Both baking and distilling revolve around yeasts. What should everyone know about these microorganisms?

Weghaupt: Not an easy question to answer. Humans have always lived in a symbiosis with yeasts – and that's something we need to be aware of. Yeasts are everywhere in our environment, which is why wild fermentation is entirely possible in bread-making too. Every sourdough naturally contains yeasts in its own right. A targeted and quantitatively limited use of yeast enhances the quality of the product – because bread the way it was made in its earliest days is not something anyone would particularly enjoy eating today.

Farthofer: Ten years since the first branch opened in Vienna's city centre, on Naglergasse. You now have six branches across Vienna. Why does great bread seemingly only work in the city?

Weghaupt: Consumers appreciate good bread everywhere – in the countryside just as much as in the city. It's perhaps more a question of availability. We also sell our Bio bread in a small shop attached to our bread manufactory in the Waldviertel is affiliated. There too we have loyal customers who appreciate the quality of our products.

Farthofer: When is bread expensive?

Weghaupt: When it doesn't taste good. Simple as that. Quality and craftsmanship – not just the baker's, but also that of the farmers who produce the raw ingredients, must be fairly rewarded. Paying a fair price for a high-quality product doesn't make it expensive.

Farthofer: You supply around 70 customers in Vienna. Is Joseph Brot shipped, like Sacher Torten?

Weghaupt: With our Bio products, it's all about quality and freshness – and we can't guarantee that if we're sending our bread halfway around the world. Even though our Bio breads stay fresh for a very long time, it simply isn't an option for us.

Blog Tag des Bodens - Destillerie FarthoferBlog Tag des Bodens - Destillerie Farthofer

Farthofer: Our little daughter's absolute favourite is a brioche kipferl. What do your two boys love most?

Weghaupt: A brioche kipferl is always a great choice. It's a firm favourite with my boys too. They also love a crumbly kipferl or a crusty hand-shaped roll.

Farthofer: You once said you expand every two years. Where will the next location be?

Weghaupt: This late summer we'll be taking the next big step with Joseph Brot and venturing beyond the city limits of Vienna. But we're staying urban – we're opening a Joseph Brot branch in the beautiful Salzburg. We're very much looking forward to it!

Farthofer: You've been calling for more organic food and organic farming for quite some time. Were you heard with the EU Farm to Fork Strategy of 25% organic by 2030?

Weghaupt: It's at least a step in the right direction. We need to look for alternatives and solutions to stop exploiting our planet without regard. That can't be the way forward, and by now that should be clear to everyone.

Farthofer: Who inspires you?

Weghaupt: Regina, my wife. I owe her not only our two wonderful sons, but she also continually opens up new perspectives for me and has broadened my horizons in so many ways.

Farthofer: Who keeps you in check?

Weghaupt: Myself. Can I say that? I question my actions and my decisions every single day. Am I on the right path? Am I delivering my best or how can I still improve? Of course my wife and my team also support me when it comes to looking at things from a different perspective and to make my own decisions.

Blog Tag des Bodens - Destillerie Farthofer

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